Don't Play With Your Food
by isawdrones
Summary: The survivors take an unexpected turn into the Capital Wasteland and end up in the best little town in all of Virginia!
1. Arriving in Andale

Don't Play With Your Food

**1: Arriving in Andale  
**

* * *

The survivors struggled to walk under the intense Wasteland sun. By the time they had reached the small town of Andale, Louis was making sure Bill didn't fall over and the indestructible Francis carried a near-fainting Zoey.

The biker firmly knocked on the door of the best looking house they'd seen all day. A bald man answered.

"Hello there, stranger!" He greeted. "Name's Jack Smith. What can I do for you?"

"Oh my _God, _you mean, you're not another raider I have to strangle the life out of with my bare hands?" Francis exclaimed.

Louis stepped forward to shake the man's hand. "Forgive Francis, we've been through a lot to get here. I'm Louis, great to meet you!"

"No worries, friends! Welcome to Andale, the best little town in Virginia!" Jack grinned, leading the group into the living room.

As Bill sat down, resting his old bones, he noticed a delightful aroma wafting in from the kitchen. "Say, Jack, something smells fantastic!"

Mr. Smith jumped up. "Of course! You must be starving, where are my manners? Let me go fix you folks up!"

Zoey raised an eyebrow. "He's awfully nice. _Too _nice!" She giggled nervously. "Well... I really have to use the washroom. I'll be right back."

She called for Jack to ask where it was, but he didn't reply. Not having time on her side, she ventured upstairs and found it on her own. After finishing her business, she splashed cool water over her face.

The water, unsurprisingly, was still disgusting and had trace amounts of radiation in it; but it would have to do. Purified water was expensive and they had just recently found themselves in this strange world after hiding in a closet that just so happened to be an alternate dimension/time machine.

At least, that was Zoey's theory. Bill thought it was a military experiment and they were the test subjects. Louis couldn't think of an explanation; only thanked the Director that at least he didn't have to deal with hordes of zombies anymore (though, he found Radscorpions to be formidable opponents as well). As for Francis: he really digs raider chicks. Too bad almost all of them shoot first and don't ask questions later.

Her train of thought was broken when she heard what sounded like fighting from downstairs. Assuming it was only Francis being his loud and clumsy self, she put the negative thoughts out of her mind and continued to fix her rugged appearance and cool herself down.

She returned downstairs, there was an eerie silence; except for the sound of footsteps upstairs. Francis, Bill and Louis were no longer sitting in the living room. She began to feel uneasy, though her time dealing with a zombie apocalypse had somewhat toughened her up. Her eyes caught a few dark stains on the hardwood flooring, undoubtedly blood. Had that been there before?

A hand landed on her shoulder and she jumped, turned on her heel and saw Jack Smith smiling at her. "Sorry, did I frighten you?"

She rubbed that back of her neck. "A little... uh, where are my friends?"

"Oh, they just went to pick up supplies from Canterbury Commons. They didn't want to bother you! Francis — is that his name? — said that you should rest up for now."

Zoey was taken aback. "That doesn't sound like something they would do... are you sure? They just... left?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" He said, grinning at something behind her.

She turned around to see a tall man. Clean cut, brown-haired and wearing a sweater vest. The man patted down his clothing sporadically, as if trying to rid himself of something. Zoey was not getting the best vibes from the situation.

"I'd like you to meet my friend and brother, Willy Wilson!" Jack said.

"Hey, Jack! You know I don't like to be called that. The name's _Bill_." He looked at Zoey. Welcome to Andale, the-"

She cut him off. "Yes, thanks, but can you please tell me where Canterbury Commons is? I really need to find my friends."

Suddenly a short haired woman in a dress entered from the front door, already talking. "So I hear you've got some fresh mea-" She stopped when she saw the young woman. "Oh, ha ha! I was about to say _meaple!_ I mean people, of course. Fresh people. Uh... new people! New visitors! Welcome to Andale-"

Bill Wilson grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close. "This is my lovely wife, Martha!"

There was a moment of silence before Jack spoke up. "Thanks for showing up. We were just answering our new guest's question." He turned to Zoey. "Now, you can't just go out there yourself. They'll be back in a few days. Until then, let us prepare you... I mean, let us prepare dinner for you!"

Zoey bit her lip anxiously. She could see that there was no reasoning with these people, as kind as they were. She _was _awfully exhausted, and if her guys had already left without her...

Bill Wilson laid his hand on her back, moving her towards the dining room. "Your comrades will be fine! Let's play some cards until dinner is ready."

She gave in and indulged in a few rounds of Crazy Eights with the strangely courteous men while their chipper wives cooked.


	2. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Don't Play With Your Food

**2: Between a Rock and a Hard Place  
**

**

* * *

**

Zoey sat at the dining room table with her gracious hosts. A plate of some kind of meatloaf sat in front of her; but its physical appearance was not a factor. What mattered was taste and for food found in the Wasteland, it was top-notch. She dug in after virtually fasting for three days and did not stop until her dish was clean.

"Wow! You really _were _starving!" Jack exclaimed.

"It was a great meal, thank you." She wiped her mouth delicately and smiled at his teasing.

Then her foot nudged something beneath the table. She expected it to be someone's foot, but bent her head to investigate anyway. Her heart jumped wildly as she saw Bill's beret lying there. She let out a quick gasp, stood upright and shakily held her pistols at the four adults.

"I knew you were lying! I knew!" The fear must have shown on her face, as no one looked phased by her sudden outburst. "Just tell me where they are!"

"Whatever do you mean, Miss Zoey?" Mr. Wilson asked in a mock-concerned tone.

She used her foot to bring Bill's hat closer, then picked it up cautiously and threw it on the table for all to see. The wives let out sighs, Mr. Smith furrowed his brow; but Mr. Wilson started to smile.

"What did you do to them?" Her voice was dripping with horror.

Mr. Wilson leant forward to pick up his fork and knife. Zoey trained her pistols on him and his sudden movement.

"Well," he began, cutting off a small piece of his meatloaf. "We made them into a hot dish and you consumed it. It was a team effort, hon."

He placed the tender meat in his mouth and smirked at her.

The pigment drained from the young brunette's skin. "I don't believe you."

Wilson shrugged. "Believe what you want, it won't change your _fate_."

Zoey was now struggling to keep her cool. Her brain was entirely overworked. She had gone through the sorrow of losing everyone she'd ever cared about to a zombie outbreak, seen countless acts of brutality as well as performed them herself. She had found that the desensitization from watching violent movies did not carry over to real-life situations. And now, unexplicably thrown into a strange world only to have her only companions taken from her; yes, the mental breakdown had been expected.

Tears began to build up in her eyes. "Give me one good reason as to why the **fuck** I shouldn't kill you all right now."

Again, Wilson was the one to speak. The others were unsettlingly silent. "Well, one human is more than enough meat to last us for a while. One of your friends is still among the living; though it would have been two if the old man hadn't been such a fighter. Kill us, you'll never find him."

She was shaking now. "Let me see him!"

"A-a-ah! Drop your weapons. Don't forget that _we're _in control here." Wilson smirked.

She knew she was playing right into their hands by complying with them, but she figured she still had a fleeting chance to get out of this alive and with one of the three men she'd grown so close to. She lowered her guns and placed them on the dinner table.


	3. Great Hospitality

Don't Play With Your Food

**3: Great Hospitality  
**

**

* * *

**

Wilson grinned at the young woman. He motioned to Jack who stood up and held Zoey's arms behind her back, effectively restraining her. Her heart pounded frantically. Wilson motioned again and both wives left the house. When the door shut Wilson began to speak.

"Now, normally we use any outsiders for food... but you're lucky. You happen to be beneficial to our survival in _a different way._" He paused to observe her expression: terrified. "As you may have noticed, we have a very small community. Sometimes we come close to being ruined by a few raiders. God forbid we ever have to deal with a threat like a gang coming from Evergreen Mills!"

She had never felt fear like this before. Zombies had been terrifying in their own way, but they were more or less mindless. With the infected you only had death to worry about, not torture.

Wilson continued. "Not only will you help us raise our numbers, you'll help to expand our gene pool."

Zoey was absolutely revolted. She struggled against Jack's grip but could not free herself. "You're sick!"

The men laughed at her.

"If I had a dollar..." Jack mused.

Suddenly she was being pushed towards the stairs. She tried her best to resist them, holding on to the railing, kicking at them, scratching; but eventually she ended up locked in a room with both of them and thrown onto a bed. She couldn't help but cry now; she felt incredibly weak.

"Please don't," she said in a barely audible voice.

All they did was laugh. _Laugh_. Was she a joke to them? Did her life hold no value? She figured so; but she wouldn't go down without a fight. Jack approached her first and started to unzip her jacket. With all the power she could manage, she punched him square in the jaw. It was enough to make him stumble backwards. She rolled off the bed only to have her punch returned to her by Wilson. She cried out in pain.

"Feisty," he said. "Are you going to behave now?"

She nodded listlessly and wiped blood from her under her nose.

"Good, then strip."

She hesitated, knowing it would only be worse if she resisted but was petrified. A few moments passed before Wilson spoke.

"We're gonna have to do this the hard way, are we?" He pulled a large knife from his pocket and held it to her cheek. "Wanna keep that pretty little face of yours intact?"

She reluctantly removed her jacket and undershirt, shoes and jeans. She had never felt so humiliated. Wilson pressed his knife into her cheek, drawing blood.

"Did I say stop?"

"Fuck you," she breathed.

He kicked her hard in the ribs, sending her to the ground in pain.

"You stupid bitch," Jack scoffed.

Wilson stepped on her chest, she gasped and tried to push his foot off. Moments later he did himself, pulling her up by the arm and pushing her against the wall, causing her to hit her head very hard. She felt her vision blur as well as their voices.

"You had better start cooperating because _I will not_ hesitate in sending you to raiders once you've served your purpose. You're in paradise compared to what will happen to you in their hands!"

Zoey was completely drained; she spat at him. It earned another blow to the face, this time rendering her unconscious.

She awoke to a pain in her head that quickly spread throughout her body. Everything was sore and the taste of blood was overwhelming. Still naked. Barely managing to push herself off the floor, she shakily made her way into the nearby bathroom. Gripping the edges of the sink for support, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. A black eye, swollen lip, various cuts and bruises; a sad mess. After all that had happened, she still kept her mind in check.

_You can do this. Don't give up. Whoever's left... they _need _you. _

She pulled on her clothes and made her way to the stairway. What she saw in the foyer almost made her faint; she fell into a crouch and covered her mouth to stop from screaming. A huge creature, similar to a bear, sat atop what was once either Mr. Smith or Mr. Wilson — she couldn't tell who. It loudly tore at the corpse, making a horrifying sound as it chewed. A tapping noise came from the bedrooms behind her.

A young boy no older than ten was trying to get her attention. Cautiously she made her way over to him.

"What is it?" Zoey asked in a hushed voice.

"Yao Guai... I-I-I think it got m-my dad," he began to choke up.

The beast was climbing the stairs now, it had heard them. Zoey quickly shut the door as quietly as possible. The boy clung to her in a tight hug.

"Please don't let it get me!" He whimpered.

It was odd, comforting the son of a man who had caused her so much pain. She wanted to break down just as he did, but she knew she had to defend herself and the kid.

"I won't, I promise," she eyed a baseball bat laying against the opposite wall.

As she went to grab it, the Yao Guai slammed against the door, breaking through with ease and knocking the boy down. Without a second thought, she brought the bat down hard on its head, resulting in a loud crack. Drool seeped from its blood stained mouth, it looked dazed. Not wasting the chance, she swung the bat repeatedly with a rush of adrenaline, not stopping until it lay motionless. The bat fell from her hands and she held her sides, trying to stop herself from shaking.


	4. Bitter Sweet

Don't Play With Your Food

**4: Bitter Sweet**

**

* * *

**The young boy began to bawl. Zoey took long, heavy breaths. She was brought back to the start of the infection; back to her home. Her dad's brain matter splattered on the wall behind him. She couldn't have known he was immune, but the guilt would never leave her. Always lingering in the back of her mind. She toyed with the idea that what had happened to her was no coincidence. Perhaps she was being punished.

_I deserve every bit of this._

"You okay?" She asked the boy.

He only cried harder.

"Everything is gonna be fine, but I need you to help me. Do you know where..."

"Y-yeah." He said, trying to wipe the hot tears away. "The guy in the vest, right?"

She nodded and followed him downstairs. As they passed the corpse of Jack Smith, Zoey smiled faintly, immediately feeling bad for doing so while his innocent son wept.

"Z-Zoey!" Francis blurted out, gripping the bars of his cage.

She felt her knees go weak, emotion was ripping her apart. She used the key the boy had given her to free him and he held her in a tight embrace.

Suddenly Wilson emerged in the doorway, aiming a pistol.

"So you had your fun! But now it's my turn!" He barked at them. "Send what's-her-name to me."

Francis sneered. "Yeah, fuck you! You can't have Zoey you sick- AW, SHIT! My leg, you bastard fuck!"

"Get back in your cage, scum, before I make you wish I'd shot you in the head instead!"

The vested man was ready to do just that, but Zoey grabbed his arm and begged him to comply. "If you die, I... please, just go back..."

Out of options, he begrudgingly returned to his cage. Wilson promptly locked it and forced Zoey outside.

"I Love you! Zo!" She heard before the door was slammed behind her.

She was pulled along by her jacket collar.

"You are far more trouble than you're worth..." he muttered.

Off in the distance, traveling merchants and a pack brahmin came into view. Wilson laughed at his good luck, leading Zoey to believe the situation was taking yet another turn for the worst. He flagged them down.

"Looking to trade, stranger?" asked the heavily tanned merchant.

"Not quite, this girl here — I'd love if you could take her off my hands. Interested?"

Zoey didn't know what to think. It was definitely a good thing to be free of these cannibals; but Francis, he needed her.

The traveler looked her over. "She'd fetch a good amount of caps down at the Falls. How much you asking for her?"

"Oh, I don't know," Wilson stepped back to look at her, mockingly. "Not worth more than a hundred caps to me,"

"Ha! Well, that's a deal for me. Thanks." The merchant handed his caps over.

Wilson grinned, pushing Zoey toward him. "Might want to restrain her!"

The merchant nodded.


End file.
